


Eyes Like Oceans

by buckysplumdealer (magnusisfabulous)



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Bucky has issues, Friends to Lovers, Kid Fic, M/M, Minor Character Death (Mentioned), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Steve has issues too
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-24
Updated: 2017-09-13
Packaged: 2018-12-19 09:56:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11895282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magnusisfabulous/pseuds/buckysplumdealer
Summary: When Bucky comes back to New York City to settle down after an accident that left him hurt and broken, he comes across Steve Rogers, his former best friend from college times. Little does he know this meeting will change his life forever when Steve becomes part of his life again.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A few months ago, I discovered my love for Marvel and especially Stucky ♥ So I decided I needed to write a Stucky fanfic.  
> Visit me at [magnusisfabulous](http://magnusisfabulous.tumblr.com) to fangirl all over Stucky with me! :D

When somebody had asked James Buchanan Barnes as a kid how he'd picture his life later on, he would've said he'd like to have a family or be a famous football player, depending on the age he would've been asked said question. 

It was kind of funny how his life turned out to be when he hit his 35th birthday, though.  
Well... maybe sad was a better description instead of funny.  
James “Bucky” Barnes did not have a family of his own – there was no wife or husband, no kids - and he sure as hell was no famous football player. 

With a sigh, Bucky watched the two men from the moving company he had hired put the last few of his boxes down on the ground in his living room, next to the huge, comfortable couch. “That's it, Mr. Barnes,” one of the guys said. Bucky nodded, shaking his hand. He had crinkles around his eyes and a mustache – he reminded Bucky of his father. Geez, he hadn't talked to his father in almost two months. 

“Thank you,” Bucky said before pulling his wallet out of the back pocket of his jeans. He took out a few bills to give them to the guy that looked a little like his father. “Keep the change,” he said and the man smiled at him. “Thank you, Mister. That's very generous.” Bucky shook his head. “You did a good job.” That made the other man smile even more and he quickly wrote a receipt. Just a minute later, the front door of Bucky's new house fell shut, leaving the 35 years old man alone in his living room.

Who would've thought that Bucky would decide to buy a decent house before being old enough to retire?  
Before his horrible accident, he'd never even once thought about owning a house one day. That was for people who wanted to settle down. For people who wanted to marry, to have kids, have a stable job and income, to lead a normal, ordinary life. And while Bucky wasn't against getting married and having kids per se, he just did not see himself to be that kind of guy. He'd always been like a leaf in the wind – he'd gone where it had taken him, without having responsibilities besides his own need of food and a place to sleep. Oh, and a hook up once in a while. A man had needs, right? After quitting college without a degree, he'd taken any job he'd had the chance to do. Bucky had worked on building sites, road works, farms, dairies and as a furniture mover all over the United States but he'd never stayed at one place for long. Every few months, the wind had picked him up again to carry him to another place he'd never seen before. 

That was all in the past now. With his now mostly stiff and scarred left arm and shoulder, there was no way he could go back to do physically hard work. The company he had worked for had been proven responsible for his accident and so, Bucky had gotten a fair share of compensation money for his pain and suffering. 

And with a sudden urge to go back to the place he grew up, the place he felt safe, he had decided to buy a beautiful little house in New York. It wasn't too huge – there were two bedrooms, a study, a spacious bathroom with a corner bathtub (which was very nice, Bucky thought) and an even more spacious living room with an open kitchen area. Two doors leading outside into the garden from Bucky's bedroom and the living room were completely made out of glass. The whole house seemed to overflow with light when the sun was up – that was something Bucky had liked especially about it. This place felt like it could become a home someday and that was something Bucky really needed after everything he had been through. And that was why he had ended up buying a house in a quiet suburb of New York City; this place did not feel like the big city but more like a small town. 

For a few seconds, Bucky considered starting to unpack his belongings, but somehow, he really wasn't in the mood for that right now. Even though he really liked the house, everything felt like too much and not enough at the same time and he just needed some fresh air and maybe, a hot coffee to lift his spirits. He shrugged on his black leather jacket – his scarred left arm hidden safely underneath said jacket and a dark red long-sleeve shirt – and put on his shoes before he grabbed his keys and left the house. It had stopped raining a few hours ago, but the earth, grass and the asphalt in Bucky's front yard were still wet, the air crisp and cool. After leaving his property, Bucky closed the little white-fenced gate and started walking down the street. It was really quiet in this neighborhood; Bucky hoped this silence wouldn't be too overwhelming for him, but he also had the feeling this was what he needed after years of stress and his accident months ago. 

Shoving his hands in the pockets of his jeans, Bucky just walked along the street with no exact goal. He just wanted to explore the neighborhood a little before going back to his house and maybe taking a nice, hot bath. 

In the entrance of one of the other houses – a huge house with two stories, maybe thrice as large as Bucky's – he spotted a black motorcycle. Just like the one he'd had during his college times. Bucky had loved driving around New York on his motorcycle and before he left the city after dropping out of college to go and work on a working site in Chicago, he had given it to his father. Bucky sighed. He really had to call his family to tell them he was back in New York City, that he even had bought a house and was planning on staying. It was hard to face his family since his accident – they were concerned about everything since it had happened and Bucky just couldn't stand the pity and fear in their eyes. That was the reason he hadn't called them in weeks and even though he felt really bad about it, he just couldn't bring up the courage to talk to them. They'd visit every single day to make sure he was okay, to pamper him and that was not something Bucky needed right now. Not yet. 

Turning around a corner, Bucky spotted a small coffee shop next to an even smaller boutique. It looked quite nice, a little old school, but that was something Bucky liked. He decided to buy a coffee and entered the little house. A bell rang quietly when the door closed behind him, and Bucky was greeted by the voice of a woman and the delicious smell of coffee immediately. 

“Welcome! Come on in!”

The woman standing next to one of the tables in the middle of the room was a petite redhead. She smiled while she stood with her hands on her hips, examining him. The first thing Bucky noticed was her unbelievable well-toned body. She looked more like a model out of a sports advertisement than a barista in a small coffee shop. “Well, hello there, handsome. How can I help you?” She asked then and Bucky slowly blinked. The woman was obviously checking him out and while before his accident, Bucky definitely would've been happy about this kind of attention, now, all it did to him was making him uncomfortable. 

“I'd like a coffee, please. Black, strong,” Bucky answered. One of her fine shaped eyebrows rose and she grinned and somehow, Bucky thought she looked kind of... predatory. He had no idea what to think of this beautiful yet intimidating young woman. “Black and strong, that's really fitting, I have to say,” she chirped before winking at Bucky and disappearing behind the counter. Bucky cleared his throat and couldn't help but blush a little when he got aware of the fact that two young women were sitting at a table not too far from the door. They were giggling because they obviously had noticed the conversation between Bucky and the redheaded barista. He walked over to the counter, watching the young woman prepare his coffee.  
“Are you new around here? I've never seen you before,” the redhead said, glancing at Bucky while using the coffee machine. “Uhm, yes. I've moved to this neighborhood today, actually,” Bucky answered. She put a lid on top of Bucky's coffee cup and placed it on the counter.  
“I knew it. I'd remember if I'd seen a handsome guy like you around.” Again, she winked. Again, Bucky felt really uncomfortable.  
“Thanks. How much for the coffee?”  
She grinned brightly, but Bucky thought she looked more like a snake ready to strike and eat the poor little mouse. “Just tell me your name. The coffee is a welcome gift for you.”  
Bucky closed his right hand around the warm cup.  
“The name's James.”  
Still grinning widely, the young woman held out her hand for Bucky to shake. He did it, but only for a few seconds before grabbing the cup again.  
“It's really nice to meet you, James! I'm Natasha.”

Bucky nodded, slowly. “It's nice to meet you, too. I have to go... thank you very much for the coffee.” With that, he turned around to leave the coffee shop. He could hear Natasha call after him - “You're welcome! Drop by anytime!” - and he was really glad to step out onto the street again. Bucky needed to take a deep breath – for fuck's sake, he had no idea why his anxiety was so bad just because someone had been flirting with him. He'd never shied away from a flirt before his accident, but somehow, being hurt and having such a badly scarred arm had taken its toll on his self-confidence. That was definitely something he had to talk about with his therapist. 

Deciding that meeting Natasha was enough socializing for this day, Bucky went back in the direction of his house. He just wanted to take a hot bath and relax. Slowly, he walked along the street while taking a sip of his coffee from time to time. Natasha had been too straightforward for his liking, but the coffee she made was admittedly really really good. 

He was lost in his thoughts when suddenly, something collided with his legs. With a surprised yelp, Bucky turned around, looking to the ground. His eyes widened when he spotted a beautiful dog that was pressing itself to his legs, tail wiggling excitedly. The dog was a Husky and looked up at Bucky with beautiful hetero chromatic eyes, panting. “Hey there,” Bucky greeted the dog, smiling. “Where do you come from so suddenly, huh? Where's your mom or dad?” Carefully, he petted the dog's head. Bucky absolutely loved dogs and didn't even pay attention to his surroundings. He raised his head when someone seemed to call out for the dog that still was standing next to Bucky and sniffed still excitedly at Buckys trousers and everything what was within its reach. 

“Carly! Come back here! You can't just run off like this!” A man with dark, umber skin and and a careful smile came jogging over to Bucky, dressed in sweatpants and a simple black shirt. He seemed to have been out for a run with his dog when the dog had decided he needed to greet Bucky.  
“Man, I'm so sorry! Usually, she listens to what I'm saying.”  
Immediately, Bucky made a dismissive gesture with his hand.  
“Don't worry. She's gorgeous.”  
The man beamed at Bucky, rubbing the back of his head with his right hand.  
“I'm glad! There are a few people around here that aren't really fond of dogs like Carly.”  
This guy seemed to be really nice and he had a really cute dog. That was definitely a plus in Bucky's books. “I don't know anyone around here. I just moved to this part of the city. And I absolutely love dogs.” Bucky smiled, holding out his hand. “I'm James.” 

“Hi, James! I'm Sam! And this is Carly and apparently, she already loves you.” Sam laughed. Bucky couldn't help but laugh, too, before he petted Carly's head again. He really liked this dog and the owner seemed to be a great guy as well.  
“Carly and I are on our way to pick up my best friend. We're going to go for a run,” Sam told Bucky and Bucky nodded. “I could figure this much because of your outfit,” he said. Again, Sam grinned and it seemed he wanted to say more, but then, he suddenly waved at someone, beaming like the sun itself. 

“Hey, man! I'm over here!” 

Sam looked back at Bucky before he could turn around to look at whoever the other man was talking to. “It was really nice to meet you, James. Maybe we could go for a run sometimes? I could show you around, help you get to know some people around the neighborhood?” Hesitating at first, Bucky nodded. Why not? Sam seemed to be laid back, a really nice guy and he was totally different from Natasha. 

“Speaking of which, this is my best friend. Cap, come over here! You have to meet someone!” Same waved over the person that he had been talking to. Carly had spotted 'Cap' too, and bounced off, barking out loud with joy to greet them and Bucky turned his head to look who was coming towards them. 

He couldn't believe who it was who came down the street, laughing and with a yelping, overexcited dog squirming between his long legs.  
Tall, blond, blue eyes. Bucky's jaw dropped open and in disbelief, he stared at the man that had been his best friend more than ten years ago. 

“Steve?!”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “To be honest, you look a little tired, Buck,” Steve suddenly said, his voice full of affection and a little bit of concern. “How has life treated you since we last met?”  
> Of course, this question was going to happen and Bucky couldn't help but sigh quietly. He really didn't like to talk about his accident – he felt vulnerable talking about it – but this was Steve Rogers sitting across the table and if Bucky trusted one man, it was Steven Grant Rogers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 it is! I had lots of fun writing this. I hope you guys like it! Thanks to anyone reading this ♥  
> 

He was dreaming.  
Definitely, this was a dream and Bucky would wake up in his brand new bed in his brand new house without meeting his former best friend.  
This could not be happening, could it? 

“Wait a minute... BUCKY?” 

Steve looked at Bucky like he was afraid of having lost his mind.  
And before Bucky could say a single word or process the fact that Steven Grant Rogers was standing right before him, two strong arms were wrapped around him and he was pressed against an almost ridiculously toned chest. 

“Holy cow! Bucky Barnes! What – what are you doing here? It's been ages!” 

After hugging Bucky almost violently, Steve grabbed the brunet's upper arms – Bucky tried not to squirm because he was not used to people touching his left arm – and beamed at him like the sun itself. This was the first chance for Bucky to take a good look at the man he'd known once better than he knew himself, and... goddamn. 

Steve Rogers looked absolutely amazing.  
Amazing seemed to be the understatement of the century, but Bucky's brain wasn't working properly at this moment, so yeah... it was kind of hard to process that the man standing right before him really was Steve Rogers, the shy, skinny (still tall) Steve from college times. Now, Steve looked like he'd been taken out of a model magazine or the New York fashion week; even though he wore training's clothing, Bucky could see he was ripped and he was sporting a beard which made him a bit look like a rockstar, or one of these way too cool actors out of a marlboro advertisement. Bucky was speechless, to say the least. 

“I... I just moved to this neighborhood,” Bucky said, still looking up at the slightly taller man, seemingly forgetting how to speak right in this moment. Steve's eyes shone like the sun itself and when Steve smiled, he had some adorable wrinkles around his eyes. He looked absolutely amazing and for some reason unknown to Bucky, his heart was beating really fast in his chest. 

“Wow. What a pleasant surprise,” Steve said, still smiling, and Sam rubbed the back of his head with his hand. “Wow, so you two already know each other?” Steve, stepping away from Bucky a little, nodded vigorously. “James – Bucky – was my best friend back in college! We even shared a room together.” Bucky also nodded, smiling and feeling a little off. He'd never expected to meet Steve in this neighborhood. After they had lost touch, Bucky thought he'd never see Steve again but fate seemed to have decided to let them meet again after more than ten years. 

“What a coincidence. That's amazing.” Sam beamed at them, making Bucky smile even more. He couldn't help but look at Steve again who looked so unbelievably happy. “What house do you live in, Buck?” He asked before running his fingers through his ridiculously soft looking, blond hair.  
“I bought number 28, the little white house with the white fence,” he said and Steve nodded. 

“He bought Jessica Ashwell's house! What a pity she moved, that was one fine piece of ass!,” Sam suddenly blurted out and Bucky looked at him with an amused expression on his face. Steve just snorted. “Yeah, that fine piece of ass who moved to California together with her wife,” was his answer. Sam crossed his arms in front of his chest, pouting. “So what? Still a fine piece of ass!”

With a little laugh, Bucky shook his head. Steve and Sam seemed really close and comfortable around each other and even though Bucky missed being friends with the blond, he was glad Steve had found someone he could be this comfortable with. When they were in college, Steve had been almost awfully shy and he'd always found it difficult to meet new people and make friends. 

“Well, however, welcome to the neighborhood, Buck. It's really good to see you again. I've always wondered how life turned out to be for you.” Steve smiled again, patting Bucky's left shoulder gently. “I'd love to talk to you for a little longer to catch up, but unfortunately, I'm a little bit under pressure today. We wanted to go for our run and then, I have an appointment – what do you think, would you like to meet for breakfast tomorrow morning?” 

Steve asking him to meet up made Bucky really happy and with a smile, he immediately nodded. “That'd be awesome. Let's do that. Where do you want to meet?”  
“There's this little diner near the St. Mary's hospital. It's called Momo's diner, do you know it by chance?”  
Instantly, Bucky nodded. “Yes, I know what you mean.”  
Steve grinned and his perfectly white teeth flashed. “Okay! What do you say – 9 am tomorrow at Momo's diner?”  
His heart doing something funny in his chest, Bucky smiled and nodded again. “Okay. See you tomorrow morning, Steve.”  
After telling Bucky again that it was amazing to see him, Steve, Sam and an excitedly tail wagging Carly took off. Bucky couldn't believe what had just happened and he watched Steve jog off until he and Sam rounded a corner and disappeared out of his sight. 

After shaking his head again in amusement – he wasn't dreaming, was he? - Bucky went back to his house where he prepared a bath like he planned before running into his best friend. 

It was kind of ridiculous how Bucky couldn't sleep the night after his encounter with Steve – he had to think about their time together in the university's dorms. They'd been the best of friends – Bucky had told Steve anything and vice versa. They had visited each other's families over the holidays, Steve had helped Bucky finding a part time job so he could fund his college life and Bucky had been there for Steve when the blond's mother had passed away after an awful battle against cancer. It had been really hard after Bucky had quit college because after he had left New York city, they had lost contact somehow and the brunet had really missed his best friend – it wasn't like Bucky wanted to cut off ties with Steve, it just kind of happened. Bucky had no idea what had happened in Steve's life during the past ten years, but he was really glad that now he had the opportunity to catch up with his dear friend. Maybe they even could become friends again and meet on a regular basis? He really hoped so. 

After a really short night, Bucky got up to take a shower before dressing casually in a black, long-sleeved button-up shirt, blue jeans and his leather jacket, tying his dark brown hair into a little ponytail. He was kind of nervous even though there really was no reason to be nervous – he was going to meet Steve, world's most gentle and caring man. Bucky knew he was nervous because it was him that had changed a lot since they last met. He wasn't the carefree, outgoing man from their college times anymore. 

When Bucky left his house, it was raining very faintly. He sat down behind the wheel of his beloved 1992 Jeep Comanche MJ Pickup. The vehicle had been a present of his late grandma and Bucky adored the black lacquered car even though it was kind of beat up and really old. After starting the engine, the brunet drove down the street in the direction of the huge hospital Steve had mentioned. It took him round about ten minutes to find Momo's diner and Bucky stopped his car in the parking space next to the small building. 

A quick look at his phone told him he was almost 15 minutes too early, but Bucky got off his car nonetheless. Quickly, he walked over to the entrance of the diner. At this time of the day, the place wasn't too crowded – only a few tables were occupied by people who wanted to have breakfast as well. 

Bucky was greeted by a waitress that looked almost like she was still a teenager and smiled at her before sitting down at a table next to one of the huge windows so he could see the parking lot. The young waitress came over to his table after a few moments, smiling at the dark haired man brightly. “Welcome to Momo's diner! What can I get you?” She asked and Bucky thought for a second. 

“I'd like a coffee, please. Black.”  
Her smile brightened even more and she nodded. “Okay, just a moment!” She practically skipped away, her brunette hair – that seemed to shimmer a little red, Bucky thought for a split second - bouncing with every step. After talking to her, Bucky took a few moments to inspect the interior of the small but very comfortable looking diner that seemed to be designed in the style of the 50's. The counters and chairs were colored a bright red while all of the tables were white just like parts of the leather benches with red applications. The whole room smelled of fresh coffee and pancakes; Bucky liked the diner already. 

After just a few minutes, the waitress came back to Bucky's table with a steaming hot cup of coffee. Just what the brunet needed.  
“Thank you,” he said and right in this moment, the door was opened and Steve entered the building. 

With a kid propped up on his hip.  
Huh. 

While the waitress went away to pick up another customers order, Bucky stared at Steve with huge eyes. He looked a little tired, his hair slightly disheveled and his blue shirt seemed to be buttoned wrongly. Still, his eyes lit up when he spotted Bucky and he smiled brightly. He was gorgeous and suddenly, Bucky's heart decided to beat a little faster. 

“Hey, Buckster! Good morning!” Steve came over to the table, his long legs needing only a few steps to close the distance between them. Bucky rose from his seat, a happy smile on his lips. It was great seeing Steve again even though there were a thousand questions the brunet wanted to ask his former best friend. 

They shared a careful hug and Bucky looked at the small girl Steve was holding in his arms. She was really cute, with huge, blue eyes – just like Steve's – and her blonde hair was done in two adorable pigtails. She looked at Bucky shyly and he smiled at her. 

“Hey there, little one,” he greeted the child what made Steve beam even more at him.  
“Bucky, meet Peggy, my daughter.”  
Carefully and gently, he lifted Peggy a little more so she was on an eye to eye level with the two men and Bucky's smile grew softer. “Hello, Peggy. My name is Bucky. It's very nice to meet you! I love your dress!” Peggy was wearing a green dress with dozens of little ladybugs on it and in her small, still a little chubby hands, she held a stuffed toy that seemed to be a cat. 

She looked so much like Steve, it was amazing. 

Steve chuckled softly when Peggy hid her face in his neck. “She's a little shy,” he told Bucky who just smiled. “Well, seems she takes after her father not only in her looks.” The brunet winked at Steve and they sat down, Peggy sitting in Steve's lap. She snuggled up to his chest, clutching the stuffed toy to her own and seeing Steve holding this small, petite girl in his arms unfurled a warm, fuzzy feeling in Bucky's heart. 

“We don't see each other for ten years and when we meet again, you have a child. To be honest, I did not expect this even though during college, I really thought you'd make a great dad someday,” Bucky told Steve. The blond man grinned looking down at his daughter, caressing her head and looking back at Bucky.  
“Actually, I have two children.” The wrinkles around his eyes deepened when Steve's grin became even wider and Bucky couldn't hold back a little laugh.  
“Wow. Two children.”  
Steve nodded.  
“Yes. Peggy here is two years old and my oldest daughter, Sarah, is five. She's in preschool right now, I dropped her at the school before coming right here.” 

Wow. Bucky was amazed. Steve looked like a perfectly responsible adult and he felt kind of proud of the younger man.  
Before Bucky could say anything more, the young waitress appeared at Steve's side of the table. 

“Steve! Peggy! Good morning! It's so nice to see you!”  
“Wanda! Good morning!” Steve greeted the girl and she beamed at him. “Nice to have you here again. How's Sarah doing? Has she gotten used to her new teacher at pre-school?” 

Bucky watched as Steve and the girl named Wanda talked – it seemed they knew each other very well. Peggy even smiled when Wanda poked her little nose with her index finger.  
“Yeah, she's much better now. She likes the new teacher, his name is Bruce Banner. He seems to be a very nice guy, the kids love him,” Steve said, bouncing Peggy a little on his lap what made the toddler giggle adorably. 

“Wanda, have you met Bucky already? He's an old friend of mine, he just moved to our neighborhood days ago.” The blond then stated, looking at Bucky. Wanda held out her hand, smiling. “It's really nice to meet you! I'm Wanda, I didn't know you are Steve's friend! Welcome to the neighborhood.” Smiling friendly, too, Bucky shook her hand. “It's nice to meet you, too, Wanda.” 

Steve seemed to watch their little conversation with satisfaction the way he smiled. “Wanda sometimes babysits Sarah and Peggy besides working here in the diner and attending college. She's amazing,” he told Bucky and Wanda blushed. “Oh, you're exaggerating – again!” She laughed before pulling a little notepad out of the red apron she was wearing.  
“So, would you guys like to have breakfast?” Wanda asked and Steve immediately nodded.  
“Definitely! I'm starving. Sarah threw a temper tantrum this morning because I told her we couldn't have pizza again for dinner today. She knocked over her cereal and because I had to clean up the kitchen floor I had to hurry so she wouldn't be late to pre-school.”  
After telling this little story, he looked down at Peggy who was still looking up at Wanda, pressing her toy cat to her face.  
“Sweetie, what do you like to eat?”  
It was silent for a few seconds until Bucky could hear Peggy say with a cute little voice, “Pancakes.” 

Steve's daughter was the most adorable kid Bucky had ever met and he couldn't stop himself from smiling softly when Steve said: “Pancakes it is!” Wanda, laughing, noted Steve's order – pancakes with whipped cream, a large coffee and a glass of apple juice for Peggy – before looking at Bucky again.  
“Would you like to order breakfast, too?” She asked and the brunet nodded. “Yes, please. I'd like to have scrambled eggs, bacon and some toast.” He smiled, she also nodded. “Okidoki. Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes!” 

After Wanda took off again, Bucky looked back at Steve. He caught the other man looking at him, too, and the smile on Steve's lips made him feel at home. It was just now that he realized how much he had missed his best friend over all of these years. 

“To be honest, you look a little tired, Buck,” Steve suddenly said, his voice full of affection and a little bit of concern. “How has life treated you since we last met?”  
Of course, this question was going to happen and Bucky couldn't help but sigh quietly. He really didn't like to talk about his accident – he felt vulnerable talking about it – but this was Steve Rogers sitting across the table and if Bucky trusted one man, it was Steven Grant Rogers. 

“Well, to be honest, the last few months were really difficult,” he started while Steve watched him eagerly, rocking Peggy back and forth gently on his lap. “I spent the last years working all over the United States, just doing whatever job I could get. It was okay, I was free and I liked it, until...” Bucky shrugged and leaned back against the back of the chair he was sitting in, “Until I had an accident on one of the building sites I was working on, months ago. To cut a long story short, I can't do hard physical work anymore and decided to come back home.” 

Steve's beautiful blue eyes were full of concern now and he seemed to scan Bucky's body for a few seconds in search for any indication of what exactly had happened to his friend – Bucky knew this kind of expression on other people's faces now, it happened to him every time he told someone about his accident – and he sighed. “Bucky, that's horrible. I'm so sorry this happened to you. Did you have to stay in a hospital for long? I hope you're not still in pain?” 

It was really amazing how Steve immediately cared for Bucky's condition even though they hadn't seen each other for more than ten years.  
“I was in a hospital for more than four weeks and I'm only in pain if I overdo it. When I carry too heavy stuff or something like that. Don't worry, I'll be fine.” Bucky sent a reassuring smile in Steve's direction but it was hard for him to look in the other man's eyes. It hadn't been his fault that this accident happened, but he still had an anxious, awful feeling in his gut when he talked about it. Steve seemed to sense his change in mood and so, he decided to change the topic, empathetic like he was. Bucky was glad for it. 

“Does your family still live in New York? How is Becca doing?” The blond asked. Bucky took a sip of his coffee before nodding. “Yes, they're still in New York city. Becca moved back to Brooklyn and my parents moved to my grandma's house after she died five years ago.”  
Hearing this, Steve looked sad again and suddenly, he moved his arm over the stretch of their table to gently place his hand on Bucky's. “I'm so sorry, Buck. I didn't know she passed away. I often think of the amazing cookies she always made for us during college.”  
Softly, he squeezed Bucky's hand and the brunet couldn't help but smile a little sadly.  
“Thank you, Stevie. I wanted to tell you about her passing, but I didn't have your phone number anymore and I had no idea where you were living after I left the Big Apple.” 

Steve smiled and nodded, understanding. “It was the same with me. I wanted to contact you but since I couldn't get a hold of you or Becca and I moved to New Jersey after finishing college, there wasn't really a chance to do so. I'm so glad we met again now.”  
When Bucky heard Steve had lived in New Jersey, he looked at the younger man in surprise.  
“New Jersey? Are you serious? What were you doing in Jersey of all places?”  
The laugh coming from Steve after his words caused Bucky to grin. He'd always loved hearing Steve laugh.  
“Well, after finishing college, I was working as a freelance illustrator for some time. Then, I got a job offer to work for a rather large newspaper in Jersey, so I thought 'Fuck it' and took the chance. I could work as an illustrator for an actual company and earn real money. It was almost impossible to get a job in NYC at that time as a college graduate so... I really didn't have a choice.” The smile on Steve's lips was mirrored in Bucky's face who really liked hearing what happened to Steve after they had lost contact. 

“During my time as an illustrator for the newspaper, I met Sharon. She was one of the journalists working for the paper and I fell in love with her. To my everlasting surprise, she fell in love with me, too, and we married after dating for a year. It was maybe too soon to marry, but I was so in love with her, you know?” Bucky nodded even though he didn't exactly know how it felt to love someone this much. He'd had his fair share of girlfriends – and even a boyfriend – in his teenage years but he'd never had the feeling he really had loved one of those persons. He could really enjoy physical contact and he knew how it felt to have a crush on someone, but he was convinced of the fact that he had no idea what real romantical love felt like. 

“Sarah and Peggy are the products of our love,” Steve then continued and he bowed down to place a kiss on top of Peggy's head.  
Wanda appeared at their table again, carrying a huge tray that was packed with their orders. Bucky could feel his stomach grumble at the sight of his breakfast – it smelled amazing and he was really hungry.  
“Thank you, sweetheart,” Steve replied to her placing the plates with their breakfasts in front of them on the table. “Dig in~,” she said with a sing-song voice before disappearing behind the diner's counter again. 

They started eating and for some time, there was a comfortable silence between them. Bucky watched as Steve cut out little pieces of the pancakes to give them to Peggy. She seemed to love pancakes because the little girl was smiling brightly after her first bite. “Good?” Steve asked and Peggy nodded, opening her mouth again to show her father she wanted more. Bucky shook his head in amusement. 

“So, what about you and Sharon?” The brunet asked after eating another piece of bacon and taking a sip of his already cold coffee. “Are you guys still happy after all those years?”  
His heart seemed to sink a little when Steve's eyes suddenly dropped down to his plate, his shoulders slumping a little. He looked like he'd been slapped in the face and Bucky had no idea what had happened. 

“Steve...?” The older man's careful voice was to be heard. “I'm sorry, if... if that's a topic you don't want to talk about, that's fine. I'm sorry for-”  
“No. It's okay.”  
Steve looked back at Bucky and his smile was a sad one. “It's fine, Buck, it's just... it's hard to talk about Sharon. Because... two years ago, just weeks after Peggy was born, we filed for divorce. We just couldn't live together anymore, I don't even know why exactly... it just seemed our love was gone, you know? We fought so many times and we both were miserable in our marriage so we decided together to end it. I moved out of our house in Jersey and we took turns caring for our girls.” 

With a heavy sigh, Steve gave another piece of pancake to his daughter who was chewing happily on it.  
“At first, it was really hard that I wasn't able to live with Sharon and my girls anymore, but it was okay. I got used to it. I worked really hard to support them and I was happy. And then, after almost a year, Sharon had a horrible car accident on her way to work.” Steve's voice sounded small and hurt now and Bucky wanted to raise from his seat to hug the blond when he heard the next words coming from Steve, his voice being almost a whisper.  
“She died, Bucky.”


End file.
